Teaching T’ai Chi Chih Without Classes

When I returned from the teacher’s training class, last July, I found that opportunities to teach classes in this area of Orange County, California, were not so easy to come by. For one thing, a plethora of classes ranging from a variety of Qi Gong practices to T’ai Chi Ch’uan were on every Senior Center program and city Parks and Recreation department. And also churches had some classes along that line. Then, something interesting occurred. On occasion, I would be with someone who, as I saw it, could benefit from T’ai Chi Chih. I would ask if I could show a few movements and I would end up with teaching them these movements. This continued for a while. Sometimes there would be someone who complained about anxiety. Another time there would be someone with failing health, or a weight problem. After a few months of introducing movements here and there, there are now quite a few practicing T’ai Chi Chih and coming back for more. Now I have once a week an ongoing practice class. I have found that demonstrating T’ai Chi Chih on the basis of need and interest to individuals sticks better. And even if you have classes, opportunities like this may show up.